WWE has a summer season full of high-stakes Premium Live Events coming up. The Creative Writing Team keeps WWE’s product moving forward through the storylines, but unfortunately there are various mishaps and emergencies that have a negative impact on what is planned. Sources are revealing additional details on how this is happening with a highly-anticipated event.
World Wrestling Entertainment will present its Atlanta Weekend Takeover later this month. NXT’s The Great American Bash will take place on July 12 at Center Stage, and later that night the 40th Saturday Night’s Main Event special will take place at the nearby State Farm Arena. The rosters will return to State Farm Arena the following day, July 13, for the second Evolution PLE.
Trish Stratus will continue her 25th anniversary celebration at Evolution II. It was announced this week that the Hall of Famer will challenge Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship, but Stratus was not the only legend contacted for the PLE. A major spoiler was recently revealed on the Evolution Battle Royal, but the latest rumors and speculation have at least a few WWE Legends working the Battle Royal as well.
WWE Creative Shift Revealed For Evolution II
Liv Morgan is set to miss WWE Evolution II due to a shoulder injury expected to keep her on the shelf for months. She is unable to work with Nikki Bella, and unable to defend the Women’s Tag Team Championship with Raquel Rodriguez, but Roxanne Perez will fill-in at Evolution in a Fatal 4 Way against the team of Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, and two mystery teams. Sources previously revealed Morgan’s injury caused creative changes, including Evolution plans, but Fightful Select now adds that Liv’s injury forced a few “heavy shifts” for the all-women’s PLE.
Officials have been busy working to sort the Evolution lineup over the last several weeks. Inquiries were almost constant as Triple H and his teams worked to figure out who would appear at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta on July 13. As is the case these days, some of the creative work and negotiating for Evolution “came down to the wire,” in regards to having enough time to pull everything off.
There’s no word yet on which tag teams will represent NXT and RAW with SmackDown’s Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair in the Fatal 4 Way to challenge Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez for the Women’s Tag Team Championship. Fightful notes that plans for the mystery tag teams were not disclosed to talents at Monday’s RAW, and they were unaware of the match until the public announcement, but did see the earlier online rumors. Bodyslam’s Cory Hays reports that a NXT tag team was added to the match when things changed, presumably a reference to the Liv Morgan injury.
The Creative Writing Team’s original plan had The Judgment Day defending against a RAW team and a SmackDown team, according to Hays, but it wasn’t clear if Liv would have faced Nikki Bella in singles action with Raquel and Roxanne defending in a Triple Threat, or if The Bella Twins would have been one of the teams, or the only team, challenging Liv and Raquel, as had been reported.
Officials discussed The Bella Twins vs. Morgan and Rodriguez without informing Brie Bella, according to a new report from Ringside News. It was noted that Brie was left out of the loop creatively, and despite rumors or Nikki Bella’s teasers, Brie is telling people that as of last week, WWE still has not contacted her about working Evolution in any capacity.
Saraya has not heard from WWE officials about Evolution either. The RSN update noted WWE has reportedly not contacted the former Paige about appearing at Evolution later this month, which is in line with part of the revelations Saraya herself recently made.